By Promise Ogana

In furtherance of its commitment to reducing unemployment among youths in the State, the Delta State Government has established another 27 STEPreneurs who recently completed their vocational training in Information Technology Services (ITS).

The 27 ITS beneficiaries were trained for six months and were among the 549 youths covered under the STEP programme in the 2019/2020 Cycle.

While congratulating the beneficiaries for the successful completion of their training, the Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer, Prof Eric Eboh, urged them to put the items into good and effective use to continually build up the training and support they have received.

Prof Eboh emphasized that the implementation of the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) was recording another progress mark as beneficiaries in ITS receive starter pack items, after successfully completing the training phase which lasted for six months and having fulfilled all eligibility requirements.

In terms of gender, he stated that out of the 549 youths covered under the 2019/2020 STEP Cycle, including 25 Persons with Disabilities, female beneficiaries constitute 52% while male beneficiaries make up 48%.

While stressing that they have been fully empowered with requisite knowledge, starter packs component and shop rent support to begin their businesses immediately, he said the handing out of the starter packs to them was a step in the right direction.

“Today, 27 beneficiaries in Information Technology Services are receiving their starter pack items including state-of-the art laptops, printers, workstations (toolkits), electricity generators and shop rent support. The starter packs are composed to include items that are critically required for successful startup of the enterprise,” he reaffirmed.

He re-emphasized that feedback received from stakeholders showed that STEP is contributing significantly to alleviating the problems of youth unemployment by empowering youths with the mindset, skills and resources to become entrepreneurs and self-employed.

He reminded them that the provision of starter packs to them would be followed with tracking and mentoring by Directorate of Youth Monitoring and Mentoring (DYMM), an agency established by the Governor to promote the survival, success and sustainability of all beneficiaries of youth empowerment programmes in the state.

According to him, “We look forward to hearing beneficiaries’ testimonies about how the job creation trainings and starter packs have helped to set you up in your various enterprises. The job creation bureau shall hear your success story because your success is our success and our joy is measured by your success”

The Coordinator of STEP in the Delta State Job and Wealth Creation Bureau, Mr. Onyeisi Nkenchor, commended the state government for initiating and sustaining STEP for Delta unemployed youths to be gainfully employed, describing it as a life changing programme.

He said the establishment of STEP beneficiaries with starter packs has shown that they have successfully completed all the training process and have been certified by the bureau.

Uzoukwu Onyeka (Ndokwa East LGA) a graduate of Political Science, expresses his gratitude to the state government for the opportunity to be selected, trained and established to become an entrepreneur.
“As an unemployed graduate, things were not too good with me before the training. But now I can smile because I know my life has changed and my success will shock the world,” he remarked.

Also, Okonji Ebele (Aniocha South LGA) promised to use her starter packs and the knowledge gained during the training to build her business to an enviable heights, appealing to the state government to continue with the programme in order to help more unemployed youths.

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